Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1887-08-13
THE BAHAMA BANKS.
The Wonderful Work Accomplished by tn
AAual L-A

There is not a more interesting spot
on earth or sea than the Bahama
banks. To know about them as YOU
may by Il lcisurely sail over them of
from four to six knots an hour, rs was
made by our h~eavily-ladcn but sturdy
old craft, will pay for many a rough
hours experience in advance. Every
body knows that somewhere off our
Florida coast are the Bahama banks:
but whether they are banks of sand, or
mud, or oyster shells, or are the mag
zeal things they are, but few seafaring
men know OF care. Even the latter
are by no means generally informed
about them, for vessels drawing more
than fifteen feet Of water can not cross
them. The banks proper begin at
Matinella, opposite the Florida bay of
st. Lucic. They extend in n southeast
erly direction, gradually increasing in
width to a point opposite the southeast
coast of Florida, from thence growing
narrower and preserving a surface
regularity generally conforming with
the chain of islands themselves, termi-
mating in Nayidad bank, Just above the
northeast coast of Cuba. Their length
is nearly one thousand miles, and their
width varies from fifty to two hundred
miles. To the east they merge into the
Bahama Islands, but on the west
aoundings of eight hundred fathoms
have been made from the almost per-
pendicular sides of the marvellous crea-
tons of marine life; for every atom Of
this almost inconceivable formation is
the result of insect labor. =
To secure some little idea of this
deep-sea wonder close your eyes for Il
moment and imagine achain of mount
aims, thousands of feet in height,
against one side of which stands Il pre-
cipitous mass like fossilizcd h~oneycomb,
white Us snow, extending thousands of
miles, and rising like " wall to nearly
the elevation of the highest peaks,
and whose upper surface, for all this
distance, is rs level rs a floor. That is
exactly what you could see here, could
the ocean be sucked dry and you be
allowed to stand in the tremendous
channel where the Gulf stream chafes
and surges %eternally.
The width of the banks at Hole in
the Wall is no more than seventy-live
miles. but the course sailed without
exception by vessels bound for Cuba
bears so far up to the south that the
distance is II trifle over one hundred
and twenty-five miles. Every inch of
this alabaster-like surface can be seer
from your vessels deck. Station a
sailor amidships and let him "heave
the lcad' every five minutes during
the whole distance, and he will call
out all day long: 1.-TWO an q half
fathom, sir!" 1.-Two an three-quarter
fathom sir!' 1.-TWO an a half, sir!'-
"an' thrce-quarter, sir!' until the
sameness in tone and depth would be
startling.
The water itself is remarkable in
brilliancy of color and t%ranslucence
Such shades Of green were never else
where seen. The lacc-likc fringes OF
every wave-cap or rolling scroll Of
water is seer threaded with emerald,
glittering among the snowy white with
a sparkle, CLEAN, and simmer that
are enhancing. And what a rare and
wondrous treat it is to stand the day
through at the vessel rails and peel
down into this crystal space where tho
Nitching forms of sea life move in thcil
eternal ways and silences, with sucl
friendly, such loving n%earncss! Why
it seems that you can step out upor
this binding floor of white, and wan
der at will with these sprites of til,
sea!-Cor. N. Y. Post.